Many people facing economic hard times, including finding themselves without a place to live, still cherish the love and companionship of their dogs, cats, and other pets. In fact, the unconditional love of an animal can be especially important when life is at its hardest. We’ve all seen homeless people on the streets of the cities where we live and work. It’s not uncommon to see their pets (usually dogs) as well.

What can be done to help the pets of homeless people when they need food and veterinary care? One organization is dedicated to providing this help; it’s called Pets of the Homeless. They provide for the most important basic needs of these animals:

How can you help Pets of the Homeless care for animals in need? If you work or volunteer with an organization that provides aid to the homeless, such as a food pantry, you can contact Pets of the Homeless about forming a partnership with them.

Even if you don’t work with the homeless, you can still help homeless pets in your community by finding a pet food donation site near you. Just type in your city to find a local place to drop off donations of pet food and supplies. Many pet-related businesses like animal hospitals and groomers have signed up to be donation sites so finding one is easy.

You can also coordinate a pet food drive for a local organization like a food pantry that provides pet food to the homeless. Are you a business owner? You can set up your own pet food donation site and start collecting food to be delivered to local food banks. Anyone can make a difference!